The present invention is in the field of computer systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to systems, methods and media for controlling temperature levels in a computer system.
Personal computer systems are well known in the art. They have attained widespread use for providing computer power to many segments of today's modern society. Personal computers (PCs) may be defined as a desktop, floor standing, or portable microcomputer that includes a system unit having a central processing unit (CPU) and associated volatile and non-volatile memory, including random access memory (RAM) and basic input/output system read only memory (BIOS ROM), a system monitor, a keyboard, one or more flexible diskette drives, a CD-ROM drive, a fixed disk storage drive (also known as a “hard drive”), a pointing device such as a mouse, and an optional network interface adapter. One of the distinguishing characteristics of these systems is the use of a motherboard or system planar to electrically connect these components together. Examples of such personal computer systems are IBM's PC 300, ThinkCentre, ThinkPad, Aptiva, and IntelliStation series of computer systems.
The performance of personal computer systems, including processing speed and storage capacity, has dramatically increased over time. Increased demands placed on personal computer systems, such as larger software suites and data storage, result in a need for even more performance. Market forces often dictate, however, that this increased performance be achieved using smaller and smaller packages.
Personal computers systems have achieved very high levels of computing power and performance despite their relatively small size. This high level of compact performance is accomplished partially through the use of high density integrated circuit packages. These high density integrated circuit packages use a significant amount of electricity, which generates high levels of localized heat within the personal computer system housing. The heating problem is exacerbated as more and more components are placed on a single chip, each component possibly contributing to the heating problem. Power densities, as measured by watts per square foot of board space (or watts per cubic foot of cabinet space), continue to increase as processors and associated components consume greater and greater amounts of power. The more wattage consumed by a given component, the greater the heat output by that component and the higher the temperature given a constant amount of cooling. As component temperatures rise, the risk of thermal failure (such as due to excessive thermal expansion) rises as well.
To combat the heating problem, computer systems attempt to dissipate the heat away from key or vulnerable components. One common way of dissipating heat is to flush it out through the use of fans and heat sinks. Heat sinks, which are typically made of a metallic material, pull generated heat away from a component. Fans blow air over the heat sinks so that heat is extracted from the heat sink to the air, and the air (with extracted heat) is then directed outside of the computer system. The fan and heat sink system does not always provide a sufficient amount of cooling, particularly when fans and heat sinks are designed with space, cost, and noise restrictions.
Heating problems are often exacerbated with servers. Many organizations have consolidated servers into centralized data centers, seeking to use physical, application or data consolidation as a means of reducing the challenges and costs associated with administering many small servers scattered across the enterprise. By placing multiple heat generating sources in close proximity, thermal loads can be even more of a problem as servers transfer heat to nearby servers, and airflows become more complicated and restricted when multiple servers are closely located.
Liquid cooling may also be used to cool a computer system. A liquid cooling system uses a liquid coolant to extract heat from components, but such systems are typically very expensive as they require pumps, heat exchangers, etc. Liquid cooling is therefore usually reserved for very expensive or very demanding computer systems, such as supercomputers.
There is, therefore, a need for an effective and efficient system to facilitate cooling of computer systems, to control the temperature of components, and to avert overheating conditions.